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Astros offense absent in 13-inning loss to Indians

By WTOP Staff

HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astros’ offensive woes cost them in a long night against the Cleveland Indians.

Houston starter Scott Feldman produced a strong eight-inning performance, but the Astros gave him little run support in a 2-1, 13-inning loss to the Indians on Thursday night.

Mike Aviles’ sacrifice fly in the final inning scored Jose Ramirez and gave the Indians the win.

“Seemed like every ball we hit was right at somebody,” Astros manager Tom Lawless said. “You go through streaks like that. When you’re making good swings, you’re making contact, it seems like you hit it right at them.

“We know we’re putting good swings on the ball, but we’re not getting any good results right now.”

Houston left eight runners on base, and even new hit leader Jose Altuve went 0-for-6. The Astros ended the series with Cleveland having scored just six runs in four games.

“That stings,” said outfielder Jake Marisnick, who had Houston’s RBI in the fourth inning. “For our pitchers to go out and pitch like they did and not give them some run support and get out of there with a win, it definitely stings a little bit.”

Ramirez doubled with one out in the 13th before Samuel Deduno (2-6) walked Michael Brantley and Carlos Santana to set up Aviles’ fly to right. Marisnick’s throw to the plate was offline, and Ramirez scored easily.

Kyle Crockett (4-0) got the Indians out of trouble in the 12th, and Cody Allen pitched the 13th for his 22nd save.

Santana tied it 1-1 in the ninth, driving in Ramirez with an RBI single to right off Chad Qualls, who got the final two outs of the inning to escape without further damage.

Feldman allowed one run and four hits with two strikeouts, and pitched into the ninth inning for the third time in four starts.

“He only threw 80-something pitches, and I asked him going into the ninth, ‘How you doing?’ He said, ‘I’m fine. I’m ready to go,'” Lawless said. “I told him, ‘If someone gets on base … you’re not going to lose the game. You’ve pitched too well to go out there and do anything else.’

“He went out there and shut them down for eight innings.”

Feldman retired 15 straight batters before Lonnie Chisenhall’s two-out single in the eighth.

Cleveland starter Danny Salazar gave up one run and five hits with nine strikeouts in 7 1-3 innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM:

Indians 2B Jason Kipnis left the game after the seventh inning because of right hamstring tightness. He is listed as day-to-day. Kipnis was replaced by Aviles.

ON DECK:

Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer (5-8) will take the mound Friday in the first of a three-game series at Minnesota. The Indians have lost each of Bauer’s last four starts after winning four straight.

Astros: RHP Brad Peacock (4-8) will start for Houston against the Seattle Mariners on Friday as the teams begin a three-game series. Peacock, who was scratched from his scheduled start on Monday with back soreness, is 1-0 with a 1.66 ERA in his last four starts.

ASTROS MOVE TRIPLE-A AFFILIATE:

The Houston Astros signed a two-year contract to move their Triple-A affiliate to Fresno, California, from Oklahoma City, which had been the home to the Astros’ Triple-A team since 2011. The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Wednesday they were moving their Triple-A affiliation to Oklahoma City starting next year. Fresno had been the home to the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A team, but the Giants moved their top minor league home to Sacramento, California.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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